...i love coffee

...i love coffee ...in fact i'm onto my second one of the day!

i have several items of coffee related paraphernalia in which i make the beautiful black brown liquid that punctuates and stimulates my day.

at home i make my coffee in either a filter machine or a stove top. the stove top or moka pot  makes a good strong espresso brew that i top off with water to make an americano style drink. good and strong and rich in flavour it is made by applying heat to the water reservoir which then creates steam which is forced through the coffee grounds and then collects in the top part. there is always i feel a psychological dimension to coffee making which simply putting a spoonful of instant into a mug and pouring water on. preparing the stovetop, waiting, listening, waiting, listening and finally hearing that gurgling sound that means the reservoir is empty and the coffee ready takes on a magical mystique. you get a couple of cups of string espresso out of one process.

the filter coffee maker comes into it's own when a long writing or working session is going on and several cups will be required over a period of time. hot water is sprayed onto the coffee grounds and drips through the filter into a jug which is kept warm with a hot plate. the amount of coffee only restricted by the size of the jug! the advantage - you can make a good amount of coffee in one go. the downside - as the coffee is kept warm by the hot plate, after a period of time the coffee starts to take on a slightly burnt taste. sometimes (and i'm not advocating this for a good coffee experience) you could switch off the plate and microwave the coffee as needed but this also gives the coffee a tainted taste. The best option is to make enough for about 2 cups that you will drink over about an hour and then make fresh for the third cup.

at work i have a french press. some feel that this method captures more of the flavour and oils in the coffee that get trapped in the filter in a filter machine. the coffee goes in the bottom of the glass jug and then hot water is poured on. the 'press' then traps the coffee grounds at the bottom and you drink the coffee that sits above the press. the wire mesh that traps the coffee if not as fine as filters so a coarser grind is recommended.

grind it yourself or buy it ground? your call! there's something quite therapeutic when you have the time grinding it yourself and i feel you get a rounded more 'earthy' tone to the coffee. but i love pre-ground as well so i have both available and feel it's more about what i fancy than one being better than the other for me.

top tips
drink lots of coffee!
don't put milk in sinners! drink it black
have some nice brown sugar to hand for an occasional treat
i think the coffee's better if you don't use boiling water (i think i've read this somewhere) use water just off the boil in your french press or pop a little cold water onto the coffee before adding the boiling water if, like me, at work, it comes out of a boiler at boiling point. it seems 'smoother' - not sure if there's any factual data behind this - it's just the way it seems to me. in the other methods the temperature is not under your control.....

enjoy your coffee - take it seriously - it's a serious business!